Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1887-03-11

,iSlt."
:; harles and his fsher gre gone,
repeated Oscar Dalrymple, tossing
back the letter with gesture of con-
tempt at Farm'r Lees simplicity.
That paper is not worth Il farming"
Not in law: am aware of that, sir;
uut l thought you need only look az it
to act upon it The squire was almost
like father to you. Mr.. Dalrymple,
and l never supposed but you would
wish to carry out bis wishes. have
Felt as secure. having tina: document
by me. as if it was fresh lease"
MIR. Dalrymple rose. II will not de-
tain you longer. Mr. Lee; your time
. valuable"
"And what's nv answer. sir?"
''Ihat you pay the additional rent
demanded, or give up the farm"
Farmer Lee was quiet man. little
given to bursts Of anger, but he could
not control some harsh epithets. direct
ed to Oscar Dalrymple, as he walked
toward his own land. In turning
sharply out of field, he came upon
two ladies. one young and very nice
looking, the other getting in years. OF
thin. white feature and gray hair.
Law, ma'am." cried he. touching
his hat to the elder. I'm glad to see
you out again"
"Ay.' She said, Il have had a long
bout Of 1t, the longest illness l ever had
in my life. am getting better. but
slowly; and this fine spring day tempt
ed me forth"
"And what is 1t that has been the
matter?" asked the farmer. 1--WE
never could learn the rights Of it. Old
Reuben told my daughter Judith that
it was as much weakness as any thing"
"Reuben was right" said Mrs Dali
rymple. weakness and grief. that
has been chiefly the matter with me.
Try as will. Mr.. Lee, I can not over
get my poor sons dreadful death.
have been ailing ever since, though it
never told seriously upon my health
till this last winter. And 1 have a
great deal of trouble in many WAYS"
Trouble. ma'am, there's nothing
but trouble for all of u.s." spoke the
farmer.
"You don rcmembe.. me, Mr.. Lee"
cried the young lady.
"Well, yes l do, miss l remember
your face. think l had useGho see
you with poor Master Charles and the
young ladies'"
IL am Isabel Lynn; you remember
now," she said, holding out her hand.
Gay, do" answered he. heartily
shaking it. "And If what we used to
think was true, we should have had
You amongst us for good. had Master
Charles lived"
She turned away her face blushing
deeply, almost to tears. with her I'M
happy rcmembrances.
land lucky thing if it had been
You and Master Charles to reign at the
Grange, instead of what is now. I
don't mean any disrespect to Miss Sc
lima. ma am" he added to Mrs. Dali
rymple. lyon are not afraid l DO; but
her husband is hard master"
You need not tell me he is" re-
turned Mrs. Dalrymple, her eye kind
ling. Il know it too we'll"
"A good many of our leases are out
this year, and he is raising us all--rais-
ing us shamefully. Mine a pound an
acre."
"A pound IN acrer' echoed Mrs.
Dalrymplc.
mot shilling less, ma'am. Jones
sent me the notice yesterday. so I Just
put on my Sunday coat this morning,
and have been up to the Grange, and
all the answer have got is that may
pay it or leave the farm. / showed
him that letter of your husbands.
ma am, promising to renew the lease
to me on the same terms to justify my
laying out money on the land and
homesteads 1t was Just as if l had
shown him a bit of waste paper"
Unjust" murmured Mrs. Dal-
rymple.
Its worse than unjust, ma'am, 1t 8
robbery. laid out my hard savings
under that specific promise, and l
might just as well have chucked the
money naked into the earth. There is
nothing but oppression going on from
one end of the farm to the other"
"And fear that nothing else must
be looked for from him." sighed Mrs.
Dalrymple. II wish he had never be-
come my son-in-law. Selma is his
wife, and the disgrace Of these doings
seems to reflect on u.s."
at was a hard day that took MIR.
Charles from us. Miss Lynn, l hope
you won't forget to come and sec us,
while you are here; my daughters
would feel hurt"
"Oh. I shall often come" she re-
Piled. II am going to stay all the
summer with Mrs. Dalrympic, if she
will have nle. Remember me to
them"
They parted. At distance, having
stopped when his mistress stopped,
whom he had been following, stood
old Reuben, most attached servant,
who had served three generations of
the family. When Charles Dalrymple
died or, to designate events correctly,
when Charles Dalrymple committed
suicide-Reuben had returned to the
service of his mother, Mrs. Dalrymple.
But, with her son, Mrs. Dalrymple had
lost her means, and she told Reuben
that she could not afford to keep man
servant, hardly maid, but Reuben re-
piled that he had saved more than
enough money to keep himself, and
should live with Mrs. Dalrymplc with
out pay, and wait upon her-he
shouldn't leave her to tho mcrcics of a
dirty maid of-all-work. And so he had
done.
The farmer stopped to greet Reuben,
and the two expatiated for some min
utes, to their hearts content, not in
favor of Oscar Dalrymple.
would you believe that he wanted
to charge Mrs. Dalrymple rent for that
poor house we are imp It's fact; but
don'tyou mention 1t again"
impossible" said the farmer. ION
her own estate-at least, what was hers
for years.
He did, and he gets it. Others
manage It for her, for she couldn't
afford to pay it. He is bad man.
All! it my poor young master had not
been so rash! He would have come
into the Dalrymple estate, Mr.. Lee"
"What, MIR. Charles would?"
Gas true as we are here" said Rcu.
ben. 1.-The heir, Sir Charles only son,
is dead, and my poor MIR. Charles was
the next heir. Though dare say he
never gave it thought, in life. that